With only a few hours left to the Miss Rwanda 2020 grand finale, final touches are being made for this year’s edition which will take place on Saturday at the Intare Conference Arena, Rusororo.

According to organisers, this year’s event will attract a number of international guests, including beauty queens from different countries like Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, South Sudan, Ghana, Barbados, and Kenya.

"This pageant is becoming more international and a big brand for our country. Inviting these beauty queens shows that we are ready and willing to collaborate with different countries and make Miss Rwanda a brand that represents our country well,” says Dieudonne Ishimwe, the founder and managing director of Rwanda Inspiration Backup, the organisers of the pageant.

Originally 20 finalists, until Jolie Ange Ingabire dropped out due to illness, the 19 will all make it to the grand finale, unlike last year, after two weeks of intense training at the boot camp.

At the boot camp, contestants were given challenges in public speaking, written and multimedia, and given skills in art and culture, Rwandan history, and entrepreneurship by several authorities like Ministers Olivier Nduhungirehe and Edouard Bamporiki, as well as other young entrepreneurs.

They also visited several places including the Campaign against Genocide Museum, Nyungwe Canopy Walkway and the Kigali Genocide Memorial.

According to Ishimwe, the venue will be open at 5pm but the event will begin at 7pm and will feature entertainment from Inganzo Ngari and a few other artistes, before the winners, selected from a panel of five judges, wind up the night.

The winner will walk away with a brand-new Suzuki Swift, courtesy of Rwanda Motors, a monthly salary of Rwf800,000 from Africa Improved Foods (AIF), and additional goodies from Miss Rwanda’s partners.

The sponsors will also support the winner in implementing her project throughout the period of one year, and she will also represent Rwanda in the Miss World 2020 global pageant.

Among the prizes, the first runner-up will walk away with Rwf1,200,000 to be given by Multi Design Group, which will also provide a free air ticket to Miss Rwanda to spend her post-contest vacation in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Miss Popularity will walk away with Rwf1,500,000, courtesy of MTN Rwanda. She will also become the telecom’s brand ambassador for this year’s ‘Yolo’ campaign.

Transport will be available for attendees to the venue from Amahoro National Stadium, Remera.